Weather!

[rstevenson]

We're having "a bit of a blow" tonight. A typical low pressure storm is zipping over us at full speed, with the temperature rising from -11°C this morning to about 2° this evening and up to 8° or so tomorrow. Accompanying the changing temperature is precipitation -- starting with light flurries, then as the wind rises changing to a wet blizzard with a total accumulation here of about 10cm. But as the temperature rises further that will change to rain overnight and tomorrow morning, washing most of the snow away.

Here's a picture taken just a few minutes ago from my front door. It's more blizzardy than this makes it appear; the flash "freezes" the snow in mid-blizz.

Dartmouth, NS - blizzard, Jan 12, 2012

Winter in Nova Scotia!

Rob

[TNT]

First snow of 2012 here, and not even an inch of accumulation. What is going on here? And to think that the temperature was in the mid-20s.

[Ann]

First snow of 2012 here, and not even an inch of accumulation. What is going on here? And to think that the temperature was in the mid-20s.

Global warming could be what's going on.

We haven't had any snow here, either. I've been so relieved about it. But now it looks as if winter is going to catch up with us. Next week it might snow every day from Monday to Friday, we might have a regular blizzard on Thursday, and the temperatures are going to be so low that we might very well get many inches - let's hope not feet - of snow.

I hate it!

Ann

[rstevenson]

Several years ago we had a year of almost no snow all the way through January. Then we broke snowfall records for both February and March. So although I've been enjoying the almost snow-free winter here too, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Rob

[orin stepanek]

We didn't get any snow but Brrrrrrrrrr; 6degrees F outside>

[owlice]

Oh, Orin, that's cold! Brrrrrr, indeed!!

It's just above freezing here, and clear for now, but we're forecast to have the dreaded "wintry mix" tonight. The tall child and I are going to the symphony this evening, so I hope the bad weather holds off until midnight or later.

[BMAONE23]

Could that be a "Symphony in Blue"?

[owlice]

HA! Not this time; tonight, it's Also Sprach Zarathustra. The tall child has never heard it live (maybe hasn't even heard the complete work; I'm pretty sure he's read the book, though). I haven't told him there's a talk discussing the tone poem that is part of the evening; that will be a surprise. (I hope a good one!)

[Beyond]

Tone poem

[owlice]

Beyond, tone poem.

The snow did not hold off. Drive home was okay, though many roads were covered and slick. I live in a hilly neighborhood and have a steep driveway which fortunately faces south; though the roads are covered, my driveway was mostly just wet when I got home, woo-hoo!

Little cat wanted to go outside when I got home, so I let him out. He didn't stay out there for very long! He's now on the back of the loveseat I'm sitting on, stretched out and purring madly.

BMAONE23, how has your weather been? Did you get hammered by the big NW storm?

[Ann]

Yesterday was a really nice day here. There was very little wind, which is definitely very unusual here, and the temperature was a about 2 degrees Celcius, so it was above freezing. We got a bit of sunshine too.

For once I came home from work before it was dark - well, the Sun sets a little past four around here in the second half of January - and I cycled about a bit and looked for flowers.

There was no shortage of snowdrops...

And there were winter aconites...

Click to view full size image

I saw some violet flowers of periwinkle...

Click to view full size image

And I saw two little yellow buds of crocus...

My friend has helleborus in her garden...














...and some tiny variation of forget-me-nots, smaller than these and hugging the ground, but still...








And I saw rose bushes with a few roses on, both red, white and yellow roses...











And the grass was green, and lots of common daisies grew in the lawns...












And guess what! As I passed the city hall, some of the cherry trees outside were in bloom!





Well, all of that is coming to an end now. The weather report has promised us a lot of sleet today and tomorrow, and some of it may well settle. And next week, temperatures will be below freezing the whole time.

All the flowers will freeze!!!

Ann

[orin stepanek]

Ann; you have outdoor flowers in January? I always thought you lived in a far Northern country!

[Ann]

Ann; you have outdoor flowers in January? I always thought you lived in a far Northern country!

Click to view full size image

When winters are mild, yes, we do have them here in the southernmost parts of Sweden.

But last winter, believe me, there were no flowers in January. Ugh. And not in January 2010, either.




Ann

[BMAONE23]

Sonoma County finally received some much needed rain yesterday. A little breezy too but no major power outages. The roads are nice and clean today though still wet (the rain only just stopped and the sun came out at 8:00am local time)
I went to the store last night and the rain was coming down so hard and fast that the drains in the parking lot were bubbling up instead of draining down.

[geckzilla]

We got a fairly minor snow here of 4 inches or so. Last year we had this terrible disaster where the snow plows just never came. This year to make up for it the plows are coming by a bit too often...

[orin stepanek]

We got a fairly minor snow here of 4 inches or so. Last year we had this terrible disaster where the snow plows just never came. This year to make up for it the plows are coming by a bit too often...

Don't you love it when the snow plows clean the street and so you clean your walks and drive and the plows come again and push all that hard crusty snow at the end of your drive.

[geckzilla]

Don't you love it when the snow plows clean the street and so you clean your walks and drive and the plows come again and push all that hard crusty snow at the end of your drive.

I'm fortunate to live on the right side of a one-way street to avoid this sort of thing.

[orin stepanek]

I'm fortunate to live on the right side of a one-way street to avoid this sort of thing.

And I am fortunate that they do come and clean the streets! I guess reopening my drive at those times of snow is a small price to pay. Hopefully there won't be much more snow this season. We had 8 inches (2 four inch snowfalls) early this December. Those only gave snow cover for about a week. The last 2 seasons were enough to last for a while.

[TNT]

I'll have to remember to thank global warming for bringing us a thunderstorm in the middle of winter.

[owlice]

TNT, sometimes we get thundersnows.

[TNT]

It's pretty rare, though, for cumulonimbus (thunder) clouds to develop in cold weather, especially if it's snowing. I don't think I have been in a thundersnow, though. It was 54 degrees outside, barely warm enough for a cumulonimbus cloud to form.

[orin stepanek]

It snowed last night; but was only about 3/4 of an inch! The snow was pasted on everything though, as it was mixed with ice! It was nasty cleaning off the windows of the car! It is supposed to be windy today and maybe get some more snow tomorrow.

[Ann]

Winter is here. For real. It's cold, but not terribly so, but it is below freezing. Worse, it will stay cold the whole week, and probably next week, and who knows how much longer. A powerful, ice cold high pressure "zone" (or what do you call it?) over Russia is sending cold air relentlessly blowing our way. It is cold and getting colder. On Friday we will have snow.

I hate it.

Ann

[Beyond]

It's after 1:00am here, 45'F and overcast. Can't even see a star in the sky. So much for trying to get a glimpse of the Auroras going on. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

[TNT]

Forecasts predict record highs with temperatures in the middle sixties.

Global warming could be what's going on.

You said it, Ann!

Also a 22 degree halo outside.